Turkish grandmaster Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş (AA Photo)
Securing a pivotal victory at the Chess Olympiad in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, Turkish grandmaster Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş, 15, broke into the top 20 of the global chess rankings.
The world’s youngest chess grandmaster and current number one in the youth rankings claimed the 19th spot globally after reaching 2,723 Elo points, the Turkish Chess Federation announced. The national athlete continues to make history with his performance in the Central Asian country, defeating experienced international opponents.
The International Chess Federation relies on the Elo rating system to measure players’ relative skill levels in competitive play. While earning the standard grandmaster title requires a minimum rating of 2,500, surpassing the 2,700-point threshold places a competitor in the elite tier of international athletes. Reaching this statistical milestone at 15 illustrates the extreme magnitude of the achievement.
Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen currently tops the international list with 2,823 ELO points, placing the Turkish teenager exactly 100 points behind the world number one. The Olympiad brings together top national teams from across the globe, functioning as a venue for emerging players to test their strategies against seasoned veterans. Turkish authorities plan to utilize these achievements to expand youth programs across the country.
